Eskenazi Hospital holds ribbon cutting and public tours

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A crowd gathered to watch the official ribbon cutting for the new Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital. The $754 million project was four years in the making. It replaces the current Wishard Memorial Hospital located just a few blocks away.

There were a lot of people to thank during the ribbon cutting ceremony, including Sindey and Lois Eskenazi. The couple made a $40 million donation to the capital campaign in 2011. Mr. Eskenazi stood by his young granddaughter as he talked about the hospital’s legacy.

“It’s for the city of Indianapolis, it’s for Marion County, it’s for all the people all the generations that are going to be coming here. That’s what I’m thinking of all the kids that are going to be helped there,” said Mr. Eskenazi.

The hospital is located on 37 acres, sitting at the west end of the IUPUI campus. The state-of-the art facility features more than 200 clinic exam rooms and 315 patient rooms. All of the rooms are private. The hospital also has a level 1 trauma center, one of only two in the state. It also boasts a roof top sky farm where food will be grown to serve in the cafeteria.

“As we eagerly anticipate the day that we finally get to open our doors to our patients and to our community we are mindful that none of this would’ve been possible without your compassion, your generosity and your support,” said Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO.

The new hospital will open on December 7th, that’s when staff will take on the huge task of transitioning into the building and transferring patients.

Marion County voters approved the project during the November 2009 election. Eskenazi health officials boast the construction was completed on time and on budget. Also, 90% of the construction contracts went to Indiana companies.